Department for Transport

Bus Service Operators Grant

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2018 to Question 159654, what the timescale is for the next phase of the bus service operators grant reform process.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: It is still our intention to reform the Bus Service Operators Grant when time allows. We are currently in the process of digitalising the existing paper-based claim process in line with Governments Digital by Default agenda.

Electric Vehicles: Grants

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the removal of the plug-in car grant on the number of sales of zero emission-capable plug-in hybrids since that grant was removed.

Jesse Norman: The plug-in car grant was intended to support the early market for low emission vehicles and has so far supported the purchase of around 100,000 plug-in hybrid cars, at a cost of over £360 million.In 2018 the Department reviewed the plug-in car grant to focus on zero tail pipe emission vehicles. Since then, overall sales of alternatively fueled vehicles have increased compared to the same period last year. While the sales of zero emission capable plug-in hybrids have decreased since the grant was reviewed, the sales of the cleanest zero emission vehicles have increased by over 50 per cent over the same period.

Freight: EU Countries

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the merits of the freight connectivity proposals ratified by the European Union for enforcement in a situation where no withdrawal agreement is reached.

Chris Grayling: The Government’s preferred outcome remains that the UK should leave the EU in an orderly fashion with a Withdrawal Agreement. In this circumstance, the EU Regulations that cover freight connectivity (in particular the road measure, but also addressed by the aviation regulation in the context of air freight) would not need to come into effect. However, if the UK does leave the EU without having concluded a Withdrawal Agreement then the measure guarantees rights for UK carriers to carry goods to and from the EU until the end of December, which provides welcome certainty for UK carriers and their customers.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Construction: Licensing

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the implications for the Government's polices of the Federation of Master Builders’ report, Licence to build: A pathway to licensing UK construction.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department has regular discussions with the construction industry, including the Federation of Master Builders, about how best to improve the standard of work undertaken by firms and sole traders in the sector, and to protect consumers. The Government has already endorsed the TrustMark Scheme which works to educate consumers on recognising and reporting rogue traders operating in the home building and repair market. TrustMask is actively involved with Trading Standards to provide further protection to consumers affected by rogue builders; and to identify local traders who have undergone independent checks for both trade competence and good trading practice. This scheme gives consumers increased confidence and ability to choose registered businesses including builders who adhere to and maintain high standards.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many staff in his Department who were transferred or seconded to work (a) in other departments or (b) on other departmental briefs on preparations for the UK to leave the EU, have since returned to his Department.

Andrew Stephenson: BEIS has a significant EU Exit portfolio and as such has not transferred or seconded staff to work on EU Exit in, or on behalf of, other Departments.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on prospects for the Middle East peace process.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The United Kingdom remains a strong supporter of efforts to promote peace in the Middle East. We are in regular conversations with partners about the best way to advance prospects for peace. The Acting Minister for the Middle East discussed prospects for peace with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 30 April and the Palestinian Head of Mission in the UK on 9 May.

Gaza: Hamas

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Hamas Government in Gaza on political stability in the region.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK remains very concerned about the situation in Gaza and any actions by Hamas which increase instability. We utterly condemn rocket fire from by Hamas and other militants in Gaza; Palestinians and Israelis deserve to live in safety and peace. Hamas must renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previously signed agreements. Hamas' military wing has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK since 2001 and the UK retains a policy of no contact with Hamas in its entirety. We regularly raise our concerns about the situation in Gaza with the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority, pressing them on the need for a long-term strategy to improve economic and political conditions, and urging them to work together to see long-term improvements. We are supportive of Hamas-Fatah reconciliation attempts, and of the PA returning to resume government functions in Gaza, helping to improve the dire humanitarian and economic situation.

Middle East: Hezbollah

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of the security threat posed by Hezbollah to (a) Israel and (b) the Middle East.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The British Government has serious concerns about the actions and behaviours of Hizballah in the Middle East. Its continued role in Syria, amassing of weapons outside of state control and, therefore, the lack of distinction between its political and military wings is what led the Home Secretary to extend proscription of Hizballah to the entirety of the organisation. Most recently, former Minister, Alistair Burt, raised this during his visit to Lebanon in March this year, when he expressed his concerns over Hezbollah's regional role.Hizballah has been proscribed in its entirety since March and the UK has long had a no contact policy with the whole organisation.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,what assessment he has made of the implications for the Middle East Peace Process of the rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Indiscriminate attacks against civilians are unacceptable and unjustifiable, and make peace harder to achieve. The UK fully supports Israel's right to self-defence and to defend its citizens from such acts of terror. Ultimately, the ongoing decision by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to embrace violence and reject the Quartet principles lies at the heart of the Gaza situation. Hamas and other terrorist groups must cease all actions that are violent or provocative, or that put civilian lives at risk.

Syria: Islamic State

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of whether the Assad Government is party to an agreement with the global coalition against Daesh on (a) the Tanf de-confliction zone and (b) the Coalition military presence within the Tanf de-confliction zone.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Al Tanf Deconfliction Zone was established by the US and Russia to prevent unintentional conflict. The Assad regime is not a party to that arrangement.

Syria: Islamic State

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions the global coalition against Daesh has (a) used military force and (b) threatened to use military force to prevent forces loyal to the Assad Government from entering the Tanf de-confliction zone.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions UK military personnel have supported or taken part in operations by the Global Coalition Against Daesh in order to prevent forces loyal to the Assad government from entering the Tanf de-confliction zone.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The British Government does not hold information on the number of times in which Coalition forces have threatened or used force to prevent forces loyal to the Assad Government from entering the Al Tanf Deconfliction Zone. The aim of the Deconfliction Zone is to prevent the need to use or threaten the use of force. The UK has no permanent ground forces at Al Tanf. As part of their support to the Global Coalition, UK air assets provide support to the Coalition in counter-Daesh operations in the vicinity of Al Tanf.

Syria: Islamic State

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether the global coalition against Daesh supplies arms and ammunition to the Maghaweir al-Thowra force patrolling in the Tanf de-confliction zone; and whether the coalition (a) pays salaries to and (b) commands that force.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The US leads on providing support to Maghaweir al-Thowra, which is not a formal part of the Global Coalition command structure. It is not for the UK to comment on the nature or detail of the US' support.

Syria: Islamic State

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the global coalition against Daesh fulfils its legal obligations towards civilians in the Tanf de-confliction zone.

Dr Andrew Murrison: British armed forces fully adhere to international humanitarian law when conducting military operations. We expect all members of the Global Coalition to do likewise.

Syria: Islamic State

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the validity of reports that civilians who left the Tanf de-confliction zone for humanitarian reasons have been executed by forces loyal to the Assad regime.

Dr Andrew Murrison: We are aware of, but not in a position to confirm, reports of executions of civilians returning to regime-held territory from Rukban IDP camp within the Al Tanf Deconfliction Zone. We have been clear that any such movement should be safe, voluntary, well-informed and dignified. We have strongly supported the UN's calls for Russia and the Syrian regime to allow in humanitarian assistance to Rukban, to guarantee protection of rights for those wishing to return and to allow UN access throughout the return process.

Cabinet Office

Constituencies

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on local communities of parliamentary boundary changes that result in parliamentary constituencies covering three (a) district or (b) borough councils, in addition to a county council.

Kevin Foster: The Government is committed to delivering more equal and updated parliamentary constituencies to ensure there is fair and equal representation for electors across the UK. The four independent Boundary Commissions conducted the 2018 Boundary Review and made recommendations in accordance with rules previously agreed by Parliament. It is for the Boundary Commissions to take into account relevant factors when recommending parliamentary constituencies, including local government boundaries

Department of Health and Social Care

Ovarian Cancer

Lee Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve early diagnosis of ovarian cancer and (b) reduce the level of variation in diagnosis times between clinical commissioning groups.

Seema Kennedy: The NHS Cancer Programme is committed to improving early diagnosis as outlined in the Long Term Plan ambition to diagnose three-quarters of all cancers at stages 1 and 2 by 2028. This includes all stageable cancers.To achieve this ambition, the NHS Cancer Programme is working on a number of programmes to improve early diagnosis rates for all cancers. The Rapid Diagnostic Centres (RDCs) are a new flagship policy in the Long Term Plan that offer patients a range of tests in the same day with rapid access to results. These RDCs starting to be rolled out in 2019/20 and will support the overall early diagnosis ambition. The RDCs will upgrade and bring together the latest diagnostic equipment and expertise, building on 10 models piloted with Cancer Research UK, which have focused on diagnosing cancers where patients often present with non-specific symptoms, often the case with ovarian cancer, and may go to their general practitioner many times before being sent for tests, such as blood and stomach cancers. A new cancer diagnosis standard, designed to ensure that patients find out within 28 days if they have cancer, will be introduced in 2020. All hospitals in England are now collecting data on how long it takes patients to reach cancer diagnosis, and they are working to improve performance over the next year and reduce unwarranted variation, for example geographical variation.

Strokes: Death

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many deaths caused by stroke there were in affected areas in England during the pollution episode in April 2019; and what comparative assessment he has made of the number of deaths attributed to stroke in that period with the (a) expected average and (b) average over the last five years.

Seema Kennedy: According to the Daily Air Quality Index there were ‘moderate’ to ‘very high’ levels of air pollution in some areas of the United Kingdom between 7 and 8 April and between 15 to 25 April 2019. The figures for deaths caused by stroke in this period are not available in the requested format and a comparative assessment has not been made.In January 2019, the Government launched the Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans for dealing with all sources of air pollution to save lives, protect nature and boost the economy.

Heart Diseases: Death

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many deaths were caused by coronary heart disease in affected areas in England during the pollution episode in April 2019; and what comparative assessment he has made of the number of deaths attributed to heart disease in that period with the (a) expected average and (b) average over the last five years.

Seema Kennedy: According to the Daily Air Quality Index, there were ‘moderate’ to ‘very high’ levels of air pollution in some areas of the United Kingdom between 7 and 8 April 2019 and between 15 and 25 April 2019. The figures for deaths caused by coronary heart disease in this period are not available in the requested format and a comparative assessment has not been made.In January 2019, the Government launched the Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans for dealing with all sources of air pollution to save lives, protect nature and boost the economy.

Health Services: Rural Areas

Scott Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department taking to enable the use of digital technology to increase access to healthcare for people in rural communities.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Digital technology is improving access to healthcare for rural communities:- In April 2018, NHS Digital published a digital inclusion guide for health and social care aimed at local health and care organisations to help them to take practical steps to support digital inclusion in their communities, including those in rural areas who are more likely to be digitally excluded; - We are working closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to ensure that health and care needs are taken into account in national digital infrastructure policy, are running two test beds under Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s 5G programme focused on improving access, and the 5G programme itself will address rural connectivity; and - The NHS App is now connected in over 52% of general practitioner (GP) practices. It provides a universal offer regardless of postcode. It gives patients a single safe and secure means to interact with their GP, including access to their GP record, make GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions, access 111 online for urgent medical questions. The improved NHS website has over 40 million visits a month.

Asthma: Prescriptions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of asthma prescription charges on lifelong asthma sufferers.

Seema Kennedy: The Department has made no such assessment.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to review which long-term health conditions should be exempt from NHS prescription charges.

Seema Kennedy: The Department has no current plans to review or amend the list of medical conditions that provide exemption from prescription charges. Extensive arrangements are already in place to help people afford National Health Service prescriptions. These include a broad range of NHS prescription charge exemptions.To support those with greatest need who do not qualify for an exemption, prescription prepayment certificates are available. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just £2 per week.

Ocrelizumab

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the (a) negotiations for NHS access to and (b) appraisal of Ocrelizumab as a treatment for primary progressive MS.

Seema Kennedy: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on whether drugs and other treatments represent an effective use of NHS resources.NICE is currently developing technology appraisal guidance on the use of ocrelizumab for treating primary progressive multiple sclerosis, with final guidance expected in June 2019. NHS England and Roche have now reached a commercial agreement and on 9 May NICE published final draft guidance which recommended ocrelizumab within its marketing authorisation, as an option for treating early primary progressive multiple sclerosis with imaging features characteristic of inflammatory activity in adults. Ocrelizumab will now be routinely available for eligible adults.

Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money was accrued to the public purse under the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme and (b) what proportion of that money was allocated to clinical commissioning groups between 2014 and 2019.

Seema Kennedy: Under the 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS), scheme members made payments to the Department. The 2014 PPRS has now delivered over £2.7 billion of PPRS payments. The following table shows the annual aggregate PPRS payments from 2014 until the end of the PPRS in December 2018. The 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access is the current voluntary scheme.PeriodAggregate PPRS payments2014£311 million2015£847 million2016£628 million2017£387 million2018£615 million Further aggregate net sales and payment information can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/pprs-quarterly-net-sales-and-payment-informationEach year, the Department estimates the England share of expected income from the PPRS which is then included within NHS England baseline financial allocations. Decisions on how to allocate funding across the health system is for NHS England to determine, in line with patient need.

Asthma

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many emergency hospital admissions there were for asthma for (a) adults and (b) children in affected areas in England during the pollution episode in April 2019; and what comparative assessment he has made of the figures for admissions in that period with the (i) the expected average and (ii) the average over the last five years.

Seema Kennedy: According to the Daily Air Quality Index there were ‘moderate’ to ‘very high’ levels of air pollution in some areas of the United Kingdom between 7 and 8 April and between 15 to 25 April 2019. The figures for emergency hospital admissions for asthma in this period are not available in the requested format and a comparative assessment has not been made.In January 2019, the Government launched the Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans for dealing with all sources of air pollution to save lives, protect nature and boost the economy.The Department collaborated with the National Review of Asthma Deaths led by the Royal College of Physicians which examined the circumstances surrounding deaths from asthma and reported in 2015. Lessons learned about the factors that contribute to asthma deaths inform the National Health Service about what constitutes good care and encourages the development of appropriate services for people with asthma.

Asthma

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many emergency ambulance dispatches there were for asthma for (a) adults and (b) children in affected areas in England during the pollution episode in April 2019; and what comparative assessment he has made of the figures for that period with the (a) expected average and (b) average over the last five years.

Seema Kennedy: According to the Daily Air Quality Index there were ‘moderate’ to ‘very high’ levels of air pollution in some areas of the United Kingdom between 7 and 8 April and between 15 to 25 April 2019. The figures for emergency ambulance dispatches for asthma in this period are not available in the requested format and a comparative assessment has not been made.In January 2019, the Government launched the Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans for dealing with all sources of air pollution to save lives, protect nature and boost the economy.The Department collaborated with the National Review of Asthma Deaths led by the Royal College of Physicians which examined the circumstances surrounding deaths from asthma and reported in 2015. Lessons learned about the factors that contribute to asthma deaths inform the National Health Service HS about what constitutes good care and encourages the development of appropriate services for people with asthma.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many emergency hospital admissions for COPD there were in affected areas in England during the pollution episode in April 2019; and what comparative he has made of the figures for that period with the (a) expected average and (b) the average over the last five years.

Seema Kennedy: According to the Daily Air Quality Index there were ‘moderate’ to ‘very high’ levels of air pollution in some areas of the UK between 7 and 8 April and between 15 to 25 April 2019. The figures for emergency hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in this period are not available in the requested format and a comparative assessment has not been made.In January 2019, the Government launched the Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans for dealing with all sources of air pollution to save lives, protect nature and boost the economy.

Strokes

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many emergency hospital admissions there were for people suffering a stroke in affected areas in England during the pollution episode in April 2019; and what comparative assessment he has made of the figures for that period with the (a) expected average and (b) average over the last five years.

Seema Kennedy: According to the Daily Air Quality Index there were ‘moderate’ to ‘very high’ levels of air pollution in some areas of the United Kingdom between 7 and 8 April and between 15 to 25 April 2019. The figures for emergency hospital admissions due to stroke in this period are not available in the requested format and a comparative assessment has not been made.In January 2019, the Government launched the Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans for dealing with all sources of air pollution to save lives, protect nature and boost the economy.

Heart Diseases

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many emergency hospital admissions there were of people with coronary heart disease in affected areas in England during the pollution episode in April 2019; and what comparative assessment he has made of the figures for that period with the (a) expected average and (b) average over the last five years.

Seema Kennedy: According to the Daily Air Quality Index, there were ‘moderate’ to ‘very high’ levels of air pollution in some areas of the United Kingdom between 7 and 8 April 2019 and between 15 and 25 April 2019. The figures for emergency hospital admissions relating to coronary heart disease in this period are not available in the requested format and a comparative assessment has not been made.In January 2019, the Government launched the Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans for dealing with all sources of air pollution to save lives, protect nature and boost the economy.

Childbirth

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many premature births there were in England during the pollution episode in April 2019; and what comparative assessment he has made of the figures for that period with the (a) expected average and (b) average over the last five years.

Seema Kennedy: According to the Daily Air Quality Index there were ‘moderate’ to ‘very high’ levels of air pollution in some areas of the United Kingdom between 7 and 8 April and between 15 to 25 April 2019. The figures for premature births in this period are not yet available to enable a comparative assessment.In January 2019, the Government launched the Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans for dealing with all sources of air pollution to save lives, protect nature and boost the economy.

Asthma

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) 999 and (b) 111 calls were made from people with asthma in England during the pollution episode in April 2019, and what comparative assessment he has made of the figures during that period with the (a) expected average and (b) average over the last five years.

Seema Kennedy: According to the Daily Air Quality Index there were ‘moderate’ to ‘very high’ levels of air pollution in some areas of the UK between 7 and 8 April and between 15 to 25 April 2019. The figures for 999 and 111 calls made from people with asthma in this period are not available in the requested format and a comparative assessment has not been made.In January 2019, the Government launched the Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans for dealing with all sources of air pollution to save lives, protect nature and boost the economy.The Department collaborated with the National Review of Asthma Deaths led by the Royal College of Physicians which examined the circumstances surrounding deaths from asthma and reported in 2015. Lessons learned about the factors that contribute to asthma deaths inform the National Health Service about what constitutes good care and encourages the development of appropriate services for people with asthma.

Huntington's Disease

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help raise awareness of Huntington's disease.

Seema Kennedy: Huntington’s disease is a rare inherited progressive disorder that causes motor, cognitive, and psychiatric signs and symptoms.The United Kingdom Rare Disease Strategy, published in 2013, is a high-level framework committed to raising awareness about all rare diseases, such as Huntington’s disease, and sets out a strategic vision for improving the lives of all those affected.Steps to increase awareness of rare conditions are being taken through the implementation of the Strategy. The Department published an update to its implementation plan to achieve the commitments in the Strategy in England on 27 February 2019.

Heart Diseases

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative estimate he has made of the number of emergency ambulance dispatches for coronary heart disease in affected areas in England during the pollution episode in April 2019 and (a) the expected average and (b) the average over the last five years.

Seema Kennedy: According to the Daily Air Quality Index, there were ‘moderate’ to ‘very high’ levels of air pollution in some areas of the UK between 7 and 8 April 2019 and between 15 and 25 April 2019. The figures for emergency ambulance dispatches relating to coronary heart disease in this period are not available in the format requested and a comparative assessment has not been made.In January 2019, the Government launched the Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans for dealing with all sources of air pollution to save lives, protect nature and boost the economy.

Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to involve patient organisations in setting the success factors for the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access as part of the first operational review meeting.

Seema Kennedy: The Department has engaged with patient organisations on multiple occasions as part of the negotiation and implementation of the voluntary scheme. The Department is currently working closely with NHS England and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry to develop success factors for the 2019 voluntary scheme and will keep patient groups informed on progress.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Former Ministers

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department has paid to hon. Members under section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 since 13 July 2016.

Kevin Foster: The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State role is unpaid. No Ministers paid by the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales have left under severance terms since 13 July 2016 and no payments have therefore been made. This is confirmed in the Department’s annual reports and accounts.

Wales Office: Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many staff in his Department who were transferred or seconded to work (a) in other departments or (b) on other departmental briefs on preparations for the UK to leave the EU, have since returned to his Department.

Kevin Foster: No staff from the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales have been transferred or seconded to work (a) in other departments or (b) on other departmental briefs on preparations for the UK to leave the EU.

Wales Office: Sick Leave

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.

Kevin Foster: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales is unable to disclose the number or proportion of officials in the Department citing stress as a reason for sick absence in the last twelve months as the data relates to fewer than five staff, and releasing the data would risk the identification of individuals.Sick leave for reasons relating to stress amounted to 33% of total sick leave days in the Department in the 12 months to 31 March. The cost of officials taking sick leave was £14,117.The physical and mental wellbeing of our staff is crucially important to the department and staff have access to all employee services that help to sustain physical and mental wellbeing, including Occupational Health and a 24-hour employee assistance helpline.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Contracts

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many contractual improvement notices have been issued at each private prison in each of the last 10 years.

Robert Buckland: Holding answer received on 15 May 2019



Over the last 10 years, the following formal contractual notices have been issued at the following private prisons. HMP Birmingham (operated by G4S)HMP Birmingham – Incident Reporting (Improvement Notice Issued August 2016, Closed January 2017 due to sufficient improvements in performance being made)HMP Birmingham – Release in Error (Improvement Notice Issued August 2016, Closed January 2017 due to sufficient improvements in performance being made)HMP Birmingham - Levels of Violence, reduced purposeful activity, cleanliness (Improvement Notice issued March 2018)HMP Birmingham – ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody, Teamwork) (Improvement Notice issued March 2018)HMP Birmingham – Levels of Violence, reduced purposeful activity, cleanliness, (Outstanding Issues Notice issued June 2018, not closed, superseded by Step In)HMP Birmingham – ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody, Teamwork) ( Outstanding Issues Notice issued August 2018, not closed, superseded by Step In) HMP & YOI Doncaster (operated by Serco) HMP & YOI Doncaster – Insufficient Progress against HMIP Recommendations, Increase in Levels of Violence and Staffing Levels (Improvement Notice Issued – March 2015)HMP & YOI Doncaster – Insufficient Progress against HMIP Recommendations, Increase in Levels of Violence and Staffing Levels (Outstanding Issues Notice Issued – July 2015)HMP & YOI Doncaster – Insufficient Progress against HMIP Recommendations, Increase in Levels of Violence and Staffing Levels (Rectification Notice Issued 12th – August 2015)Rectification Closed due to sufficient improvements in performance being made in July 2017.  HMP Northumberland (operated by Sodexo)HMP Northumberland – Insufficient performance against the Performance Threshold for Prisoner Working Hours (Improvement Notice Issued - June 2015)Improvement Notice Closed due to sufficient improvements in performance being made in December 2016. HMP Oakwood (operated by G4S)HMP Oakwood – Areas of Reduced performance - Cleanliness, MDT, Purposeful Activity, Searching, Staffing Numbers - (Improvement Notice Issued - February 2012)Improvement Notice closed due to sufficient improvements in performance being made in July 2013. HMP Peterborough (operated by Sodexo)HMP Peterborough – Healthcare Provision (Rectification Notice issued – 17th August 2018)Rectification closed due to sufficient improvements in performance being made in January 2019 HMP Rye Hill (Operated by G4S) HMP Rye Hill – (i) Shortfall in staffing levels and (ii) inadequate paperwork plus non-compliance to PSO1700 (Management of Disruptive Prisoners) in operation of the Care and Separation Unit (Rectification Notice issued in March 2010).HMP Rye Hill – Rectification Notice for above formally closed due to sufficient improvements in performance being made in December 2010.HMP Rye Hill – Continued water ingress into Education Block (Corrective Action Notice Issued - September 2016)HMP Rye Hill – Corrective Action Notice formally closed due to sufficient improvements in performance being made in January 2017). Every privately contracted prison is robustly scrutinised by an on-site Prison Service Controller who monitors their performance, including staffing levels. Some privately run prisons are among the best across the estate, and we are able to take rapid action if standards do not meet contractual levels, and in such circumstances remedies are applied. For publicly run prisons we have a Performance and Assurance Framework, which ensures that where a prisons performance falls below a certain level improvement measures can be put in place.

Joseph McCann

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the decision was taken to release Joseph McCann.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, who took the decision not to refer the question of Joseph McCann's release to the Parole Board.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) scope, (b) timescale and (c) remit is of the urgent review into the reported mistaken release of Joseph McCann.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what date was his Department informed of the release from prison of Joseph McCann.

Robert Buckland: In accordance with the sentence of the Court, Joseph McCann was released on 15 February 2019, after he had completed half (less time spent on remand) of a three-year determinate sentence for burglary imposed on 25 January 2018. On release, he was supervised by the National Probation Service (NPS) When charged with that offence and remanded into custody on 21 August 2017, he was being supervised on licence by the NPS as part of the sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) which he received on 26 September 2008. An offender on an IPP licence is not recalled automatically when he is charged with a further offence or offences. The probation officer will consider whether the alleged further offences, prior offending and the offender’s current behaviour show that his risk has escalated to the point where he needs to be recalled to protect the public. The decision on whether to recall an offender is to be based on a robust assessment of risk and to reflect the professional judgment of a trained probation officer. The NPS has undertaken an urgent review to establish why Mr McCann was not recalled to custody, either when remanded into custody on 21 August 2017 or when he was sentenced on 15 February 2018. Mr McCann has now been charged with a number of very serious offences committed on or after 21 April this year. This has triggered a mandatory serious further offence (SFO) review, under the Probation SFO Review Procedures. The SFO review will consider in greater depth than has thus far been possible, including by interviewing relevant members of staff, the question of whether Mr McCann should have been recalled to custody when charged with and subsequently convicted of the burglary offence. Typically, an SFO review is completed within three months of an offender being charged with an SFO.

Prisoners' Release

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners who have been released in error in each of the last three years.

Robert Buckland: Information on releases in error are published as part of the HM Prison and Probation Service Annual Digest. The latest publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-hm-prison-and-probation-service-digest-2017-to-2018 Releases in error are rare and in the vast majority of cases offenders are returned to custody very quickly. We work closely with the police to recapture those at large and investigate each incident thoroughly to see what lessons can be learned.

Courts: ICT

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Transform Justice blog entitled The secret room – who is listening to what in digital courts?, published on 11 April 2019, if he will make an assessment of the accuracy of reports in that blog that a secret video control room was placed in a court in Medway; and what information his Department hold on whether that is widespread practice in other courts.

Paul Maynard: There is no secret video control room at Medway Magistrates’ Court.There is a control room, not accessible to the public, where the coordination of participants and the connection and disconnection of video hearings to the courtroom takes place. This function is carried out by a HMCTS video court administrator. There are no other courts operating a control room across the criminal court estate.

Offenders: Electronic Tagging

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, who has the power to amend the conditions of (a) bail and (b) court orders which are the subject of a GPS tag.

Robert Buckland: Once an individual is produced before a court it is only the court that has the power to amend the conditions of bail and court orders which are the subject of a GPS tag. The police can impose (limited) bail conditions both pre-and post-charge prior to an individual being produced before a court, although this cannot extend to any form of electronic monitoring.

International Covenant On Economic Social and Cultural Rights

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the UK's declaration reserving the right to postpone the application of Article 7(a)(i) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights still applies; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Buckland: The UK remains a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. There remains one reservation in force under Article 7(a)(i) of the Covenant, in respect of Bermuda and the Crown Dependencies. The UK Government will review all reservations as part of the next periodic report under the Covenant, which is due in June 2021. The UK Government remains committed to the principle of equal pay and continues to work to eradicate the gender pay gap.

Treatment Of, and Outcomes For, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Individuals in the Criminal Justice System Independent Review

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2019 to Question 235745 on Treatment of, and Outcomes for, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Individuals in the Criminal Justice System Independent Review, when the review of the Supreme Court's recommendations will be completed; and what steps will be taken to ensure that his Department complies with the Court's ruling.

Robert Buckland: We are awaiting the Order from the Supreme Court setting out the instructions it has made in respect of the judgment. Once we have received this, we will come forward with proposals for reform in response to the judgment.

Aiding and Abetting: Ethnic Groups

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the ethnicity is of adults who are (a) charged and (b) convicted of joint enterprise in the latest period for which data is available.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the ethnicity is of defendants under the age of 18 who have been (a) charged and (b) convicted of joint enterprise in each of the last five years.

Paul Maynard: Joint enterprise is a common law doctrine that applies to any offence where more than one person is being charged and convicted of the same crime. The Ministry of Justice only collects information on the ethnicity of defendants that are prosecuted and convicted of specific criminal offences in England and Wales (i.e. murder, manslaughter, etc) in any given year. Information is not collated on whether a prosecution or conviction also relied on the law of joint enterprise. Such information may be held on court records, but could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Parents

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the prison population are parents.

Robert Buckland: The information requested is not held centrally to a sufficient degree of accuracy for release. It is not mandatory for offenders on arrival at prisons establishments to provide this information and the interface would not be able to differentiate search criteria in order to obtain this percentage. We are taking forward recommendations, including giving governors the budget and flexibility to spend their resources appropriately to help prisoners keep important family or significant other ties which occurred in October 2017. Prison Governors are working in partnership with family services providers to meet the identified needs of prisoners, including developing relationships for prisoners who do not have access to family for several reasons including leaving the social care system. We commissioned Lord Farmer to undertake a review on the importance of family engagement to reduce reoffending and prevent intergenerational crime, the recommendations from which we are now implementing. Lord Farmer is currently carrying out a further review on family ties, focusing on female offenders, which is expected to be published shortly

Judiciary: Youth Courts

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) district judges and (b) magistrates have been assigned to participate in youth courts in each year since 2010; and what proportion of those (i) district judges and (ii) magistrates were (A) women and (B) men.

Robert Buckland: All salaried District Judges (Magistrates’ Court) are, following their appointment, trained and authorised to sit in the Youth Court. The number of judges on the 1st April in each year since 2010, male and female, is set out in the table below. Judicial statistics are not yet available for 1st April 2019.  1st April 20101st April 20111st April 20121st April 20131st April 20141st April 20151st April 20161st April 20171st April 2018Male106991001019895899091Female373841414443444949Total143137141142142138133138140 Data on the number of magistrates assigned to youth court prior to October 2016 are not available and it would present a disproportionate expense to HMCTS to provide it. Data regarding youth magistrates is available from 1 April 2017. The data provided for magistrates are internal Management Information and not subject to the same quality checks as official statistics. The number of magistrates assigned to the Youth Court on 1st April 2017, 2018, and 2019, male and female, is set out in the table below.  1st April 20171st April 20181st April 2019Male1088904790Female128911331066Total237720371856

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Sir Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the waiting time for benefits appeals from the 40 week average cited by HM Courts and Tribunal Service.

Paul Maynard: It is important that appeals are heard as quickly as possible. The Ministry of Justice recognises that there are delays in the system and is in the process of recruiting more judicial office holders in order to increase capacity and help to reduce waiting times for appellants. In the Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) jurisdiction, 225 new medical members and 119 disability-qualified members have recently been appointed and are now hearing cases.The SSCS jurisdiction will also benefit from the fact that 250 fee-paid judges and 100 salaried judges are being recruited across tribunals more widely. In addition, we have recently launched a new digital service with a view to enabling speedier processing of appeals and providing a better service for all parties to the proceedings. Information on the new digital service can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/appeal-benefit-decision/submit-appeal

Prisoners' Release

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners serving an indeterminate public protection sentence were (a) released on licence and (b) subsequently recalled to prison in each of the last five years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners were serving an indeterminate public protection sentence in each year since 2012.

Robert Buckland: It is for the independent Parole Board to review the detention of those prisoners serving an IPP sentence who have completed their tariff period. The Board will direct the release of these prisoners only if it is satisfied that the levels of risk posed to the general public are reduced enough that the National Probation Service and its partner agencies can safely manage them in the community under supervision. Whilst HM Prison and Probation Service is focused on giving all prisoners serving IPP sentences opportunities to progress towards release, public protection must remain our priority. The information you ask for is available in the public domain; however, I have provided it below for ease of reference. The following table provides the number of first releases from IPP sentences in each of the last 5 years: 20142015[1]201620172018Releases419562576616506[1] Due to improvements in IT systems, the 2015 prison admissions data is now taken from a different source and, for statistical reporting purposes only, are produced using a different method. The 2015 figures from both the old and new systems have been presented to aid comparison. The following table provides the number of offenders recalled from IPP licences in each of the last 5 years. It should be noted that these are incidences of recall and that offenders may appear more than once if they have been recalled on multiple occasions. It should also be noted that the recall and release numbers in each corresponding year do not necessarily relate to the same individuals.  20142015201620172018Recalls96[2]3634824926372 Published data for IPP recalls was not collated separately to other types of indeterminate sentence prior to September 2014, and so can only be provided at disproportionate cost.  The following table shows the population of prisoners serving IPP sentences who have never been released as at the end of March each year since 2012: 31 March 201231 Mar 201331 Mar 201431 Mar 201531 Mar 201631 Mar 201731 Mar 201831 March 20196,0175,8095,2064,7564,1333,5282,8842,403 As with any large-scale recording system, administrative IT systems are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners' Release

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners who were serving an indeterminate public protection sentence were (a) released in error and (b) subsequently recalled to prison in each of the last five years.

Robert Buckland: We are not able to release figures for the information requested as low numbers are not disclosed to prevent disclosure of individual identity in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 1998. This applies to values of 5 or fewer or other values which would allow values of 5 or fewer to be derived by subtraction. Information on releases in error are published as part of the HM Prison and Probation Service Annual Digest. The latest publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-hm-prison-and-probation-service-digest-2017-to-2018 Releases in error are rare and in the vast majority of cases offenders are returned to custody very quickly. We work closely with the police to recapture those at large and investigate each incident thoroughly to see what lessons can be learned.

Prisoners' Release

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice,how many prisoners (a) were released before their correct release date and (b) served time in excess of their correct release date in each of the last five years.

Robert Buckland: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Figures on all releases in error are published as part of the HM Prison and Probation Service Annual Digest. The latest publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-hm-prison-and-probation-service-digest-2017-to-2018 Releases in error are rare and in the vast majority of cases offenders are returned to custody very quickly. We work closely with the police to recapture those at large and investigate each incident thoroughly to see what lessons can be learned.

Theft: Pets

Gillian Keegan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to review sentencing guidance for people who commit pet theft.

Robert Buckland: It is for the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, which is independent of government, to develop sentencing guidelines and monitor their use. The Theft guideline and evaluation are available here: https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/publications?s&topic=theft-offences

Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme: Appeals

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of decisions made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority on applications for compensation were appealed in each year since 2010.

Edward Argar: The table below shows the number and proportion of first decisions made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in each year since 2010-11 which were subsequently appealed to the First-tier Tribunal (FTT). It should be noted that the year the decision was made and the year it was subsequently appealed may be different. PeriodNumber of first decisions subsequently appealed to the FTTProportion2010-112,3024.18%2011-122,4614.39%2012-131,9983.87%2013-141,5783.92%2014-151,3564.02%2015-161,0924.14%2016-171,1363.83%2017-181,4193.58%

Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme: Appeals

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of decisions made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority on applications for compensation were overturned on appeal in each year since 2010.

Edward Argar: The table below shows the number and proportion of decisions made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in each year since 2010-11 which were subsequently overturned on appeal. There are a number of decisions made where the appeal outcome is yet to be determined. PeriodNumber of decisions overturned on appealProportion2010-118761.59%2011-128581.53%2012-135801.12%2013-142900.72%2014-151730.51%2015-16920.35%2016-17920.31%2017-18750.19%

Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of successful applications made for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme took longer than 12 months to process in each year since 2010.

Edward Argar: The table below shows the number and proportion of applications for compensation received in each year since 2010-11 in which a decision to award compensation was made (i.e. were successful) at first decision, review or appeal and took longer than 12 months to process. Where an application is appealed, the timeframes for listing and deciding the appeal are determined by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and are out with the control of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. PeriodNumber of successful applications which took longer than 12 months to processProportion of all successful applications2010-118,76526.5%2011-129,63329.9%2012-1310,35739.9%2013-146,90247.1%2014-157,40851.3%2015-168,32262.7%2016-175,32141.4%2017-181,70513.5%

Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost of submitting an application for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.

Edward Argar: There is no cost to submit an application for compensation to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

Fines: Surcharges

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much money has been raised by the Victims Surchage in each year since 2010.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much money from the Victims Surcharge has been allocated to charities supporting victims in each year since 2010.

Robert Buckland: Income from the Victim Surcharge contributes to the Ministry of Justices’ Victim and Witness Budget (“the Budget”). This budget is used to fund Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) who commission local support services for victims, and nationally commissioned support services including the National Homicide Service, Rape Support Centres, and the Court Based Witness Service. Income from the Victim Surcharge is forecast into the Budget at the beginning of each financial year. However, actual income raised from the Surcharge will fluctuate each year (depending on the amount imposed and collection rates). Should revenue raised from the Surcharge go above the forecast amount, the excess is put towards compensating victims through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Overall amounts are set out in the table below: Financial Year Victim Surcharge (VS) Collected *[1]VS contribution to the Victim and Witness Budget*Overall Victim and Witness Budget*2010/11£10m£10m£48m2011/12£10m£10m£48m2012/13£10m£10m£50m2013/14£19m£19m£57m2014/15£24m£24m£86m2015/16£28m£18m£92m2016/17£31m£26m£96m2017/18£35m£31m£97m *The amounts listed in the table have been rounded to the nearest £10m.

Emergency Services: Crimes of Violence

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been prosecuted for common assault or battery under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of common assault or battery under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the average length of sentences given to people convicted of assault or battery under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have received an increased sentence for an offence specified as aggravated under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.

Robert Buckland: The number of individuals proceeded against and convicted of an assault against an emergency worker can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802035/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2018.xlsx. Filter by ‘Offence’ for: `8.22 Assault against an emergency worker’. This link also provides information on the average length of sentence (in months) given to those convicted of this offence. It is not possible to obtain an estimate of the number of people who have received an increased sentence for an offence specified as aggravated under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018. Detailed information may be held on individual court records but to be able to identify these cases we would have to access these individual court records which would be of disproportionate cost.

Prison Officers: Sick Leave

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officer days have been lost due to sickness in each year since 2010.

Robert Buckland: Latest figures on the number working days lost due to sickness and sickness absence rates since 2010 can be found in table 15 in the HMPPS Workforce Statistics Bulletin at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/780169/hr-publication-tables-december-2018.xlsx.HMPPS is committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff in England and Wales, with all staff having access to a comprehensive occupational health service and employee assistance programme.

Prison Officers: Sick Leave

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officer days have been lost due to being off work for mental health reasons in each year since 2010.

Robert Buckland: HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff, with all staff having access to a comprehensive occupational health service and employee assistance programme. HMPPS continuously monitors and re-assesses the support and interventions in place for staff. To this end HMPPS changed its delivery model for employee assistance services (EAP) and the new EAP model has significantly enhanced and changed access to the help and support previously available to HMPPS staff and includes specialist Trauma Support and a manager’s helpline amongst other services. The model also enables staff to self-refer for counselling by calling the 24 hour helpline in complete confidentiality. The number of working days that band 3-5 officers lost due to mental and behavioural disorders is provided in table 1 below. Table 1: Band 3-5 officer1 working days lost due to mental & behavioural disorders2, 2009/10 to 2017/18 Financial yearWorking days lost due to mental & behavioural disordersPercent of known sickness reasons42009/1060,69721.02010/1157,79422.42011/1260,78224.22012/1357,89523.92013/1463,20927.02014/1559,85827.52015/1657,80729.42016/17360,88732.62017/18347,76929.9  1 Includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officer and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.2 Absences are categorised according to the International Classification of Diseases, which is an approach used across the civil service.3 Between January and March 2017, during migration of data to the Single Operating Platform, an under-recording of sickness absence records occurred. Therefore, there is likely to be an undercount of working days lost for the 12 months to 31 March 2017. Furthermore, investigations are ongoing regarding more recent sickness absence data so figures for the 12 months to 31 March 2018 should be treated with caution.4 Working days lost due to mental & behavioural disorders as a proportion of total working days lost, excluding where the reason for sickness is unknown.

Prison Officers

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the cumulative number of years of experience held by all prison officers in (a) 2010 and (b) 2018.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the number of years it will take for the cumulative number of years experience of prison officers to return to 2010 levels.

Robert Buckland: Band 3-5 prison officers’ cumulative length of service for 2010 and 2018 are provided in table 1 below. Table 1 - Band 3-5 Prison Officers1, staff in post (full time equivalent) and total cumulative length of service2 FTECumulative Length of Service (Years)2 31st December 201024,501329,353 31st December 201822,722248,008   Notes: 1. Includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officer and Band 5 / Custodial Managers. 2. Length of service in HMPPS calculated from most recent hire date. Where staff have transferred in from another Government Department or have transferred in through HMPPS taking over a function, length of service is calculated from entry to HMPPS.  No assessment has been made of the number of years it will take for the cumulative number of years’ experience of prison officers to return to 2010 levels.Recruiting and retaining engaged and motivated staff is crucial to driving improvements across the estate.We gave officers an increased pay award last year and have provided additional training and support to all staff, offering services including 24/7 counselling, trauma support and occupational health assessments.We know that retention of staff will take more than a ‘one size fits all’ approach, and specific action is being taken where needed.

Community Rehabilitation Services: Wales

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which services currently managed by community rehabilitation services will be run by the National Probation Service under the new model of probation proposed for Wales.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his plans are for the responsibility for procurement under the new model of probation proposed for Wales.

Robert Buckland: The Government set out its response to the consultation ‘Strengthening probation, building confidence’ on the 16th May 2019.This consultation response confirmed that we intend to bring the supervision of medium and low risk offenders, currently supervised by the Community Rehabilitation Company, into the National Probation Service across England and Wales. Recognising the unique delivery landscape in Wales, we are seeking to achieve this by the end of 2019 so that advice to court, risk and need assessments, sentence planning and managing enforcement and recall will all sit within a single organisation.Responsibility for delivering unpaid work, running accredited programmes, and provision of “Through-The-Gate” resettlement services will remain with the Community Rehabilitation Company until the end of the current contract. A competitive procurement process will be run over the coming months to re-procure delivery of these services once the current contracts endA number of market engagement events have been held in Wales to help inform the design of the future services and the procurement process. We are keen to work with a range of providers including both the private and voluntary sector. Work is ongoing to finalise the competitive process for procuring unpaid work, accredited programmes and resettlement services and we aim to have new contracts signed by the end of 2020.

Prisons: Staff

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons the baseline for the permanent leavers as a percentage of average staff changed from the workforce statistics bulletin published in November 2018 to the bulletin published in February 2019.

Robert Buckland: There has been no change to the methodology used in producing the HMPPS workforce bulletin published in November 2018 to that of the HMPPS workforce bulletin published in February 2019.

Prisons: Staff

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many hours of detached duty have been provided to each of the prisons in the 10 prisons project in each month since 2015.

Robert Buckland: Detached Duty (DD) is one of the sensible and proportionate measures we take to ensure we run safe and decent regimes in prisons and respond appropriately to any operational issues that arise. The deployment of staff between prisons on DD is a regular and normal part of prison resourcing; the number of Prison Officers deployed on DD varies from one week to the next in order to reflect operational circumstances. Annex A attached shows the number [and cycle] of staff deployed to the six of the prisons in the 10 prisons project (Isis, Hull, Moorland, Nottingham, Ranby and Wormwood Scrubs) for a period since 2015. Detached Duty is allocated on a cycle (4 week average) rather than on a month by month basis.  



Annex A tables
(Word Document, 19.39 KB)

Prisoners

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of hours out of cell was for each prisoner in each prison in the 10 prisons project in each month since 2015.

Robert Buckland: The information requested is not held. The 10 prisons in the 10 Prisons Project were selected across three regions in the prison estate as some of our most challenging establishments, particularly in respect of drugs and violence. We are working closely with them to understand how adaptable different approaches are to types of different prison environment so that we can share best practice and seek to replicate elsewhere what works.

Prison Officers: Vacancies

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers vacancies were not filled in each prison in (a) May 2018 (b) May 2019.

Robert Buckland: The table attached provides the vacancies for Band 3-5 prison officers, by establishment (full time equivalent) on 31 March 2018 and 31 March 2019 – the most recent date for which statistics are available.Retaining and recruiting engaged and motivated staff is critical to delivering the solutions to drive improvement across the service.We met our target to increase prison officer numbers by 2,500 early last year and have now almost doubled that.We continue to run targeted recruitment campaigns to boost frontline staff for some of our most difficult to recruit sites, fill our remaining vacancies and stay on top of attrition.



Table
(Word Document, 20.43 KB)

Prison Officers

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have been transferred (a) into and (b) out of each prison in the 10 prisons project since August 2018.

Robert Buckland: Prison officer transfers are an important part of our approach to flexibly managing the workforce and enabling the sharing of best practice. Several Band 3-5 prison officers have transferred in and out of the 10 prisons since August 2018. A breakdown of transfers in each of the 10 prisons is provided in the table below.  Table 1 - HMPPS band 3-5 officers1 who transferred 2,3 in each prison in 10 prison project, from 1st August 2018 to 28 February 2019 PrisonTransfer InTransfer OutHull25Humber22Leeds45Lindholme68Moorland33Wealstun44Nottingham513Ranby46Isis26Wormwood Scrubs413 Notes:1 Includes band 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl specialists), band 4 / Supervising Officer and band 5 / Custodial Managers.2 Figures only include where the individual was a prison officer both before and after the move ie. ignoring transfers due to promotion or regrading. In addition, as part of the 10 Prisons Project, we are piloting the new Standards Coaching Team initiative, in which experienced officers from across the estate are being temporarily transferred to the 10 prisons to provide coaching and support to new recruits.

Prisoners: Injuries

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of people in prison with traumatic brain injuries.

Robert Buckland: The MoJ does not hold information on the number of prisoners who have suffered a traumatic brain injury. NHS England commission health care services in prison and include questions on head injury in the secondary health screen which all prisoners receive. Recent studies that have examined the prevalence of traumatic brain injury in prisons in England and Wales indicate this may affect between 46 to 70 per cent of the male population. On 6th February 2019, The Disabilities Trust published their ‘Making the Link’ Evaluation Report on their service to support female offenders with acquired brain injury in HMP Drake Hall. The report found that, of the 173 female offenders screened at HMP Drake Hall, 64% reported a history indicative of a brain injury. Additionally, in 2017-2018, The Disabilities Trust ran a Brain Injury Linkworker pilot at six sites in the adult male estate. It is expected that the evaluation from this pilot will be published in due course. MoJ has formed a cross-government group on Acquired Brain Injury with colleagues from NHS England, DHSC, the Home Office and HMPPS. This group will consider the findings from both pilots, alongside other emerging evidence, to help determine next steps to better support this cohort of vulnerable offenders.

Courts

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases were rescheduled in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) Greater London due to insufficient court space in the months of (i) February, (ii) March and (iii) April 2019.

Paul Maynard: Published data for criminal cases show the number of trials which were vacated or ineffective (and therefore do not go ahead) in the criminal courts and for ineffective trials, the reasons why the trial was ineffective. One of these is ‘court administrative issues including a lack of court time and court accommodation failures’, – however it is not possible to identify instances where this is specifically due to reasons of ‘insufficient court space’. Available data on vacated and ineffective trials is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-court-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2018 These statistics are currently published up to December 2018. Data for January – March 2019 are due to be published on 27 June 2019. Information relating to rescheduled cases and the reasons for them in the civil and family courts are not held by the Ministry of Justice.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Private Rented Housing: Electrical Safety

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the Government plans to introduce mandatory five yearly electrical checks in the private rented sector.

Kit Malthouse: We are working to bring into force regulations on mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector as soon as possible, subject to parliamentary approval and timetable. As outlined in the Government response to the consultation on Electrical Safety in the Private Rented Sector, published on 29 January 2019, we are working with industry to produce guidance for landlords setting out the skills and qualifications relevant to determining competence of those carrying out electrical inspections. We have also been working with local authorities in England to develop the range of sanctions for non-compliance with the upcoming regulations.

New Homes Ombudsman

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the consultation on the New Homes Ombudsman.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We will be publishing our consultation on the New Homes Ombudsman in due course. The consultation will also seek views on whether a Code of Practice for developers should be underpinned in statute.

Housing: Construction

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to improve the quality of new build homes.

Kit Malthouse: We have taken steps to address design quality through the revised National Planning Policy Framework and are in the process of reviewing associated guidance. We have also hosted two National Design Conferences, each attended by around 400 representatives of the sector, and we have launched the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission; to advise the Government on how to promote and increase the use of high-quality design for new build homes and neighbourhoods. The Commission will report back in December 2019.In relation to build quality, we have announced our intention for a New Homes Ombudsman to be established and are considering options for a shadow ombudsman. Furthermore, our building regulations set requirements on a range of issues including health and safety, sustainability and access. The regulations are supported by statutory guidance in Approved Documents. As part of its response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety, the Government is developing a programme of reviews of the Approved Documents.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Former Ministers

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much his Department has paid to hon. Members under section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 since 13 July 2016.

Jake Berry: Any such payments are published in the Department’s audited annual accounts, and these accounts can be found on gov.uk through the following links:Complete set of annual reports and accountshttps://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dclg-annual-reports-and-accounts2017-18 (pg. 47)https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/727588/MHCLG_ARA_2017_18_WEB_Accessible.pdf2016-17 (pg. 49)https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/624324/59955_DCLG_ARA_2017_Web_Accessible.pdf

Parks: Fees and Charges

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken in response to its consultation on preserving the free use of public parks.

Rishi Sunak: On 14 December 2018 the Government published its response to the consultation stating that we would not impose regulations on local authorities preventing them from charging for free to use events held in public parks. However, we remain committed to the underlying principle that the use of public parks by the public for reasonable everyday use is, and should remain, free.The Government is currently working together with the Local Government Association to identify models of good practice and collaborative working between local authorities and local groups that can be shared widely to make the best use of parks for the whole community.

Ministry of Defence

Veterans

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the merits of the collection of data on military veterans' interactions with government service providers to help support the specific needs of those veterans; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: It is recognised that better identification of the veteran community within and through data can lead to a greater understanding of their needs, trends and geographical distribution - which in turn will provide a more robust evidence base to inform policy making, enable planning and support service delivery.The UK-wide Strategy for our Veterans champions the changing needs of the ex-Service community. Since Veterans draw on services from across Governments and Departments, implementation of the strategy will be across the three-sitting governments and across Whitehall Departments.'Data on the Veteran Community' is one of the cross cutting factors of the Strategy and whilst it recognises that there is some reliable data collected across Government Departments, it can be fragmented, making analysis and prediction of needs difficult. The outcome we want by 2028 is for an enhanced collection across Government to better build an evidence base to identify and address the needs of veterans.

Veterans: Prosecutions

Mr Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether her Department plans to introduce new protections to safeguard veterans from prosecution in relation to historic killings.

Mr Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if her Department will introduce a statute of limitations covering potential offences committed by veterans.

Mr Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals to protect veterans accused of historic allegations relating to service in Northern Ireland.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) intends to undertake a public consultation on legal protections measures for personnel deployed on operations overseas, including a statutory presumption against prosecution of current or former personnel for alleged offences committed in the course of duty abroad more than 10 years previously. Prosecutions in such circumstances would not be considered to be in the public interest, except in “exceptional circumstances”. The presumption measure would not apply to historical alleged offences in Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State for Defence will continue to work with the Northern Ireland Secretary on the proposals for addressing Northern Ireland legacy issues. The MOD provides veterans, including those who served in Northern Ireland, who are subject to investigation and potential prosecution with legal, welfare and pastoral support.

South Korea: Military Alliances

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps she is taking to enhance defence and security co-operation with South Korea.

Mark Lancaster: We committed in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (2015) to deepen our relationship with South Korea as a priority partner in Asia. Two Royal Navy Ships visited South Korea in 2018, and we have carried out regular exercise and training activity. This included combined amphibious training in Exercise SSANGYONG 18, supported by HMS SUTHERLAND.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Mental Illness

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what provision her Department makes for universal credit claimants who are held on restriction under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Justin Tomlinson: Entitlement to Universal Credit (UC) takes into account individual claimant circumstances, such as income, savings, assets and living arrangements. Should a claimant be held under the Mental Health Act 1983 they may not be eligible for UC. All claimants, including those who with mental health conditions, receive continuous tailored support through their personal work coaches, and all Departmental staff working with claimants complete extensive training that prepares them for their role. Specific training is provided for working with different vulnerable groups, with guidance to signpost claimants to relevant support, and these circumstances will be recorded on a claimant’s online account.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that all medical assessors for (a) disability living allowance and (b) personal independence payment are medical professionals.

Justin Tomlinson: For Disability Living Allowance, information about care and/or mobility needs is submitted on a claim form, supported by medical reports where necessary, which allows the department’s case managers to determine entitlement and make award decisions. Health Professionals that carry out Personal Independence Payment assessments on behalf of the department must have the following qualifications and experience: are an occupational therapist, nurse (level 1), physiotherapist, doctor or paramedicfully registered with the relevant licensing body (doctors must have a licence to practise)the licensing body has not placed restrictions on the health professional's registration. In individual cases, this requirement may be wavered subject to prior written agreement with the department.at least 2 years post full registration experience or less than 2 years post full registration experience by specific agreement with the department,have passed a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Health Professionals are subject to a rigorous recruitment process followed by a comprehensive training programme in disability assessment for both physical and mental health conditions and have to be approved by the department. Health Professionals are then required to complete a programme of continuing professional development.

Maternity Payments: Young People

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people under the age of 18 received a Sure Start Maternity grant in 2018.

Will Quince: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Disability: Children

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial assistance her Department provides to parents who leave work to undertake full-time care for a child with a disability.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department recognises that carers provide invaluable support for relatives, partners and friends who may be ill, frail or disabled. As such, there is an additional amount of benefit payable in Universal Credit to support carers who provide care of 35 hours or more each week for a severely disabled person. For claimants who meet these requirements an additional 160.20 per month is included in their Universal Credit entitlement for caring. Carer’s Allowance is also available to provide a measure of financial support for those who give up full-time employment to care for a severely disabled person for at least 35 hours a week. The rate of Carer’s Allowance has increased from £53.90 in 2010 to £66.15 a week, meaning an additional £635 a year for carers since 2010.

Universal Credit

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support for the costs of childcare her Department provides to parents in receipt of universal credit.

Will Quince: The Government recognises that childcare costs can affect parents’ decisions to take up paid work or increase their working hours. We are committed to helping parents into work. To overcome this barrier to employment, Universal Credit claimants are able to claim up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, compared to 70% on the legacy system. This can be claimed up to a month before starting a job, and can be worth up to £13,000 a year for families with two children. Over the last few months we have been trialling a more flexible approach to parents who do not report their childcare costs on time. Following a successful pilot, we are now updating our guidance, so that Work Coaches have more flexibility and discretion to support parents’ claims for this essential service. The Universal Credit childcare policy also aligns with the wider government childcare offer, which includes free childcare hours and tax free childcare.

Universal Credit

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress she has made on providing transitional Severe Disability Payment under the Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019.

Justin Tomlinson: Following the High Court Judgment on 3 May, in relation to Universal Credit and these regulations, we are considering our options.

Food Banks

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the number of benefit claimants of who travel out of area to access a food bank.

Will Quince: The Department doesn’t maintain records on the number of food bank users. People can be referred to a food bank through a range of local referral partners. Although Jobcentre staff can also signpost claimants in writing to a food bank in line with national guidance, they are not required to maintain records on whether a customer has been issued with a signposting slip. As part of their wider community outreach work, Jobcentre managers can work with food banks in their area if they are invited to do so, to ensure that people are receiving all the support they are entitled to.

Personal Independence Payment

Faisal Rashid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress he has made on the review into 1.6 million personal independent payment claims.

Justin Tomlinson: The administrative exercise to check whether claimants are eligible for more support under Personal Independence Payments, following the MH and RJ legal judgments, started in June 2018. DWP published management information on progress on checking potentially affected cases in December 2018. These figures showed that around 140,000 cases had been reviewed and cleared (as at 23rd November 2018). Figures are changing rapidly as we continue to check cases and progress is in line with our expectations. As part of December’s release, we committed to providing further updates at 6 monthly intervals.

Universal Credit: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people became ineligable for severe disability premium as a result of moving onto universal credit in Wales.

Justin Tomlinson: It is not possible to confirm exactly how many people in Wales became ineligible for the Severe Disability Premium (SDP) following their move to Universal Credit due to a change in circumstance. This is because each case must be individually assessed to determine whether SDP eligibility would have continued following the end of their claim to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA) or Income Support (IS). Information on claimants of JSA and IS in receipt of SDP who have moved to Universal Credit would incur disproportionate cost in response to a Parliamentary Question. Since 16 January 2019 claimants who are in receipt of SDP or who have been entitled to an award of an existing benefit that included SDP in the previous month, and who have continued to meet the SDP eligibility conditions, have been prevented from moving onto Universal Credit if they experience a change in circumstances. Instead, these claimants will continue to claim legacy benefits until DWP move them onto Universal Credit where transitional protection will be available, thereby safeguarding their existing benefit entitlement. The Department is considering the detail of the recent court judgment regarding SDP, and will make a decision on their response in due course.

Universal Credit: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Wales received additional payments as a result of moving from Severe Disability Premium to universal credit without transitional arrangements.

Justin Tomlinson: The draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019, which are currently before Parliament, make provision for Severe Disability Premium transitional payments for those eligible claimants who have already moved to UC. Following the High Court judgment on 3 May, in relation to Universal Credit and these regulations, we are considering our options.

Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the contract with Capita to provide assessment services in relation with personal independence payment will expire.

Justin Tomlinson: The department’s contract with Capita to deliver assessments for Personal Independence Payment in Central England & Wales expires 31 July 2019. As announced last year the department intends to extend the contract until 2021.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of mandatory reconsideration decisions in relation to personal independence payment resulted in a change in the amount of the payment received by the claimant.

Justin Tomlinson: Statistics on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) clearances by type in Great Britain are published in Table 7B of the statistical publication “Personal Independence Payment: April 2013 to January 2019”, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-january-2019These statistics include MRs against decisions where the customer was awarded PIP, disallowances post-referral to an Assessment Provider due to failing the assessment, disallowances pre-referral to an Assessment Provider, and disallowances post-referral to an Assessment Provider where the customer failed to attend the assessment. Statistics on the proportion of MRs resulting in a change in the amount of the payment received by the claimant is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of appeals of (a) initial and (b) reconsideration of personal independence payments in the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Employment: Autism

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2018 to Question 193494 on Employment: Autism, if she will make it her policy to disaggregate data on Access to Work statistics to identify the number people with Autism Spectrum Disorders in those data sets.

Justin Tomlinson: We do not currently have plans to make adjustments to the primary medical condition categories used in Access to Work. The categories we use are consistent with the categories used in the Labour Force Survey. This is so we can compare our data to the disability employment rate. As explained in the Answer of 27 November 2018 to Question 193494, when a person with Autism Spectrum Disorders receives support through Access to Work, it will be for a specific issue or condition – e.g. a Mental health condition, difficulty in speaking, etc. – rather than Autism Spectrum Disorder. Access to Work customers may have more than one disability or condition, and it is the condition for which they are receiving support that is recorded on the Access to Work system as their primary health condition. The Access to Work statistics have been developed using guidelines set out by the UK Statistics Authority, but are still undergoing development and are therefore designated as experimental statistics. We are exploring the scope for potential modification following user feedback about the usefulness of the data. Users are invited to comment on the development and relevance of these statistics and can send feedback to: access.toworkstatistics@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Employment: Autism

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2018 to Question 193498 on Employment: Autism, over what time period was the Neurodiversity Toolkit was developed; what processes were used to develop that toolkit; and what assessment she has made of the effect of that toolkit on closing the autism employment gap.

Justin Tomlinson: In 2016, DWP contracted Autism Alliance UK to assemble an Autism Task Group to develop a new Autism and Neurodiversity Toolkit. Membership of the group comprised people with Neuro-diverse conditions, medical professionals/academics and a number of organisations, including: the National Autistic Society, Autism Alliance UK, Autism Plus and Dyscovery Centre. Within three months, the toolkit was ready to be quality assured by the Hidden Impairments National Group. The toolkit was launched by Philip Rutnam (Civil Service Disability Champion) during Autism Awareness Week, in April 2017. The toolkit is available to all Civil Servants; helping them to better understand how to support people with Autism or Neuro-diverse conditions. It is hosted on Autism Alliance UK’s website, and is updated regularly by them with professional help and guidance. As was explained in the Answer of 27 November 2018 to Question 193495 on Employment: Autism, no formal assessment has been made on the impact of the Toolkit on the autism employment gap.

Food Banks

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the sanctions system on levels of foodbank use among claimants.

Will Quince: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not keep official statistics on foodback use as there are many reasons why people use foodbanks.Nevertheless, as a measured safeguard The Department offers financial support to those claimants who have been sanctioned. We have a well-established system of hardship payments for claimants who cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs, including accommodation, heating, food and hygiene, as a result of their sanction.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the rabbit population of type 2 rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus.

David Rutley: The Animal and Plant Health Agency has not made an assessment of the impact of rabbit haemorrhagic disease type 2 on rabbit populations, but has followed the course of the disease since 2010. The disease currently has a wide geographical distribution, and significant local mortalities have been caused by type 2 rabbit haemorrhagic disease in local wild rabbit populations.

Fishing Vessels: Monitoring

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the proposed installation of inshore vessel monitoring system units on under 12m fishing vessels is planned to (a) start and (b) end; and what plans he has for the phasing of that programme.

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to require the I-VMS units approved by the Marine Management Organisation to be installed on under 12 metre British registered vessels fishing in English waters with (a) no wheelhouse and (b) an irregular power supply.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Defra is currently reviewing feedback from stakeholders, including from a public consultation exercise, on the implementation of I-VMS for the under 12 metre fleet. The Government response was published on 2 April 2019. Defra is reviewing the implementation timetable with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and will provide information on the plan shortly. I-VMS will be required on all under 12 metre British registered vessels fishing in English waters. The MMO is aware of some of the practical issues that can affect vessels that have no wheelhouse or irregular onboard electrics. It is working with potential suppliers to explore all possible options in order to implement a fit for purpose solution for these boats.

Environment Protection: British Overseas Territories

Dame Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has  ruled out the inclusion of the British Overseas Territories in plans to replace environment funding from the Financial Instrument for the Environment, LIFE, after the UK leaves the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Funding for environment projects after the UK leaves the EU will be assessed as part of the forthcoming Spending Review. As announced in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement package on 13 March this year, the Government has published a call for evidence which invites ideas on how the British Overseas Territories’ biodiversity can be safeguarded: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/safeguarding-the-environment-in-british-overseas-territories-call-for-evidence/call-for-evidence-document.

Land: Contamination

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on their legal obligation to assess and quantify contaminated land within their local authority area.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has published contaminated land statutory guidance which explains how local authorities should implement the contaminated land regime under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Water Supply: Competition

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many commercial enterprises have chosen a water supplier that was not the regional monopoly supplier in each of the last two years.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: According to Market Operator Services Limited, the market operator for the retail market in England, of the approximate 2.8 million supply points in the market, a total of 221,775 supply points have switched water supplier since market opening in April 2017. Of these, 219,731 (99% of the total) switched to a retailer that did not have a dominant share of supply points, measured as not having more than 80% of regional supply points.

Domestic Appliances: Environment Protection

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made any assessment of the environmental effect of white goods manufacturers building in obsolescence to their products.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government wants to become a world leader in using resources efficiently and cutting the amount of waste we create. This includes prolonging the lives of the materials and goods that we use, and moving away from the traditional ‘linear’ economic model of ‘take, make, use, and throw’.For this reason the Government has supported new requirements agreed in the EU for 11 energy related product groups from November 2018 to January 2019.The products subject to new requirements include white goods such as household refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines and washer-dryers. Some of the requirements agreed in these new regulations for white goods related to improving the resource efficiency of the product. They include obligations for manufacturers to design products for ease of dismantling/disassembly and reuse; make spare parts available to repairers and/or end users for ease of repair; provide information on the length of commercial guarantees; provide information as to repair; and provide information as to critical raw material content to facilitate material recovery.In the Resources and Waste Strategy for England, we have also committed to drive more sustainable consumption through providing consumers with better information as to the sustainability of their purchasing decisions. This may include requiring consumer information be provided to support the purchase of products that have been designed, produced and packaged to minimise waste, for example by being more repairable, having longer warranties, produced with recycled material, or remanufactured.

Water Supply: Competition

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) new services and (b) innovations have been introduced to the water market as a result of competition between water suppliers.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: New services introduced to the water market include, but are not limited to: consolidated billing;billing and metering services;enhanced customer services;multi-utility offerings;water efficiency services; andother consultancy services. Innovations introduced include the emerging new business model of ‘self-supply’, where five business customers have become self-supply retailers, meaning they procure water services directly from wholesalers and provide their own retail services. Benefits for these customers include financial savings, better oversight of their own usage, and influence over industry developments through participation in market governance. Ofwat’s report on the first year of the market, Open for business, contains further detail: https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/State-of-the-market-report-2017-18-FINAL.pdf.

Water Supply

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many water wholesalers operate in the water market.

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many water retail suppliers operate in the water market.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: According to Market Operator Services Limited, the market operator for the water retail market in England: There are 26 water wholesalers currently in the market. Water retail suppliers consist of 15 water and sewerage suppliers, 9 water only suppliers and 2 sewerage only suppliers.

Water Supply

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimates his Department has made of increased demand on water supply over the next (a) 10 and (b) 20 years; and what his policy is to meet that increase in demand.

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which region in England his Department estimates will have the (a) highest and (b) lowest demand in water supply in the next (a) 10 and (b) 20 years.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Public water supply demand, with no water company interventions, is estimated to increase by 506 Ml/d over the next ten years and 972 Ml/d over the next twenty years. If demand management actions included in the recent revised draft water company water resource management plans (WRMPs) are taken, demand is estimated to decrease. Based on WRMP data, the Environment Agency estimates there will be reductions of 783 Ml/d in the next ten years and 1073 Ml/d in the next twenty years. The region with the highest demand is the South East of England. The region with the lowest water demand is the North East of England. This is the case for both the next ten and twenty years. The Government is working closely with the water regulators and the water industry to ensure future water demand is met sustainably and water supplies remain secure. The Government recognises continued action is required, and it is committed to a ‘twin track approach’ of managing water demand, including leakage reduction, and increasing supply, in parallel. In the case of large nationally significant infrastructure, the Government’s National Policy Statement for water resources infrastructure, currently undergoing parliamentary scrutiny, will streamline the planning permission process.

Home Office

Human Trafficking: Tourism

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with the (a) hospitality and (b) tourism sectors on training people to detect warning signs of potential victims of human trafficking.

Victoria Atkins: The hospitality and tourism sectors have an important role in identifying and preventing modern slavery. Home Office officials regularly engage with businesses and industry bodies and have supported several initiatives to train staff and raise awareness of modern slavery.The National Crime Agency supported the Shiva foundation to produce a Stop Slavery Blueprint to help hoteliers to identify and prevent modern slavery. http://www.shivafoundation.org.uk/blueprint/#1534166149795-46b5e29a-c1e9The Home Office has published factsheets and posters on how to protect workers and spot the signs of slavery in the hospitality industry. Factsheets can be found here. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/638774/FACTSHEET_Modern_Slavery_Hospitality_v2_WEB.PDFBorder Force works with airlines, port operators and travel agents to help their staff to spot the signs of modern slavery including developing e-learning which is being used to train thousands of staff and a referral process for airlines to report concerns through the Modern Slavery Helpline.In May 2018, Border Force led an operation at airports across the UK specifically targeting flights to the Balearic Islands to warn young travellers about the risks of labour exploitation.

Crimes of Violence: Retail Trade

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many violent attacks on staff working in retail premises there were in each year since 2015.

Victoria Atkins: The Government recognises the damaging impact that violence and abuse can have, not only for victims, but also for businesses, and the wider community. We continue to work closely with retailers, the police and others to tackle these crimes.Some information is available on the number of assaults and threats made against staff in the Wholesale and retail sector working in premises in England and Wales from the Home Office Commercial Victimisation. Annual estimates are available for each year since 2012 and are published in the ‘Crime against businesses’ tables which can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/703372/crime-against-businesses-comparison-2017-tables.odsOn 5 April, the Government launched a Call for Evidence on violence and abuse toward shop staff, to further understand the scale of the issue and in-form our response.

Licensing Laws

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has plans to review the Licensing Act 2003 in relation to the (a) granting and (b) approval of Temporary Events Notices.

Victoria Atkins: As with all authorisations under the Licensing Act 2003, the system of Tem-porary Event Notices (TENs) is designed to provide necessary safeguards, while retaining flexibility for users such as businesses and community groups and balancing their interests with those of local citizens and others.The Government has no plans to change the current system but keeps the Licensing Act 2003 under review.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps she is taking in cooperation with her Irish counterpart to tackle threats from the new IRA.

Karen Bradley: I meet the Tánaiste regularly to discuss a wide range of issues, including the security situation. At the recent British Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 8 May, both the UK and Ireland reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthening our security relationship. There is no greater responsibility than the safety and security of the people of Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom as a whole.

Obesity: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of Tier 3 obesity services in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans her Department has to establish a Tier 3 obesity service in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March to Question 236379 on Obesity: Northern Ireland, what representations her Department has (a) received from and (b) made to the Northern Ireland Department of Health on the establishment of a bariatric obesity service; whether she has plans to undertake a public consultation on the potential merits of establishing that service; and if she will make a statement.

John Penrose: Health is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. Richard Pengelly, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health, has asked that such detailed questions be sent to the department. I therefore request that the honourable Member contact Mr Pengelly directly. His email is: richard.pengelly@health-ni.gov.uk.

Northern Ireland Office: Former Ministers

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much her Department has paid to hon. Members under section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 since 13 July 2016.

John Penrose: Any such payments are published in the Department’s audited annual accounts, and these accounts can be found on gov.uk.

Northern Ireland Office: Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff of her Department who were transferred or seconded to work (a) in other departments and (b) on other departmental briefs on preparations for the UK to leave the EU have since returned to her Department.

John Penrose: I can confirm that no members of staff in my Department were transferred or seconded to work (a) in other departments or (b) on other departmental briefs on preparations for the UK to leave the EU.